The Pwnagotchi has been around for a while now. A somewhat controversial device, it constantly tracks and tries to crack passwords for nearby networks. Of course, when used properly to test your own networks or networks you have permission to attack, it’s a totally legit and really neat project. But now Pwnagotchi has a nemesis: the Netgotchi Network Security device.
At this point, it scans for and detects attempts to break into your network, and will alert you by crying if someone breaches one of its honeypot access points. The firmware is totally open-source and is being actively developed. In the future, I can definitely see some machine learning being incorporated to identify normal network activity, and pre-emptively block suspicious packets by communicating with other network security devices like firewalls.
Unfortunately, the current version only supports 2.4GHz networks, but perhaps down the line, it can be ported to the new ESP32-C5 which supports dual-band WiFi. In the meantime, 2.4GHz typically remains the most attacked and they certainly aren’t going anywhere as WiFi 6 and 7 still make use of 2.4GHz for data transfer.
Note that this isn’t a magic protective device — like any network security, there is no set-it-and-forget-it magic wand. You need to understand what the likely threats are and ensure you run effective software and hardware to keep your internet use private. Tools like the Netagotchi are just one piece of a larger puzzle — who knows, maybe Pwnagotchi and Netgotchi will eventually be friends!
